title: A case of cervical Pott's disease revealed by parapharyngeal abscess.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We report a case of cervical Pott's disease revealed by parapharyngeal abscess.
  
  
  METHODS
  A seven-year-old boy was admitted with a three-week history of painful fluctuating left lateral cervical swelling, associated with night sweats. Examination found trismus, through which a lateral pharyngeal bulge could be observed. Incision and drainage of the abscess on a combined cervical-oropharyngeal approach was performed under general anesthesia, associated to non-specific antibiotherapy by parenteral route. Bacteriology was negative. After one week of antibiotherapy, fever persisted with onset of torticollis. A diagnosis of tuberculosis was considered. Tuberculin skin test was positive at 16.5 mm. A second sample by pharyngeal aspiration showed caseous pus with acid-fast bacilli. Cervical spine CT found a retrostyloid abscess with atlantoaxial lysis. Cervical Pott's disease complicated by Grisel syndrome was diagnosed. Antituberculosis therapy was initiated. Results at five months' follow-up were satisfactory.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parapharyngeal abscess with an etiology of Pott's disease is rare. Modern imaging is highly contributive to diagnosis and follow-up of lesion regression under treatment.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ORL et Chirurgie Cervico-Faciale, Centre Hospitalier National Universitaire de Fann, avenue Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5035, Dakar, Senegal. evelynediom@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Diom
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Djafarou
authors.forename: I C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tall
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ndiaye
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Diallo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Diouf
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Diop
mesh_terms: D001269:Atlanto-Occipital Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004322:Drainage; D006801:Humans; D004204:Joint Dislocations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D017703:Retropharyngeal Abscess / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D013169:Spondylolysis / Q000209:etiology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014399:Tuberculosis, Spinal / Q000150:complications*